Dear headteachers

We have today had it confirmed that Public Health England have made the decision to temporarily suspend the need for PCR testing (tests sent to labs) to confirm positive test results from lateral flow devices (LFDs) in some school settings with immediate effect. The guidance that all Directors of Public Health have been sent has been summarised below. Please also see important information for all schools at the end of the email about the logging of results in all settings.

What is changing?

From today, on a temporary basis, secondary schools and colleges will no longer need to send those testing positive on a lateral flow device for PCR testing to confirm this result. The scientific rationale for this is that, whilst infection rates remain high (above 1% in England), evidence shows that it is extremely unlikely the LFTs produce a ‘false positive’ (i.e report that someone has Covid when they do not). There is therefore no need for schools to spend time confirming the LFD result.

PHE has said that this is not intended as a long term arrangement. As and when the current high prevalence of Covid falls, we will write to  you again as the need to go back to confirming the LFD tests with PCR tests is likely to be reintroduced.

Under the new system, a positive LFD result will trigger the legal duty to self-isolate, eligibility for support payments, and contact tracing for those who do not report their own LFD results.

Does this apply to primary schools?

This does not apply to settings where testing is undertaken at home, such as primary schools. For these settings, routine confirmatory PCR will be retained. This is to minimise the risk of incorrectly reported results being registered.

Registering of results from lateral flow tests – all settings

We have been made aware that some settings are only registering positive results. It is important that ALL results are registered, including void and negative results, using the existing reporting mechanism. This is because this data is used to calculate positivity and other rates. Likewise, to support the recording of all LFD test results and support the test and trace system, it is essential that schools utilise the barcode system.

We would ask that you communicate this change with your parents and carers and stress the importance of them or their child isolating if they are required to do so while waiting for a test result or if they have a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis.

Regards

Tony Hill